martin luther impact

Question 1

Impact:

Answer 1

enabled Christianity to continually evolve to keep up with the time

Question 2

• Changing the role of the individual:

Answer 2

Luther transformed the way Christians were able to connect with God and paved the way for adherents to achieve a personal relationship with their faith
o Luther bridged the gap between individuals and God by giving them more opportunities to develop a personal relationship with him
o 5 Solas, Deutsche Messe  through his contributions he significantly impacted individuals relationships with God by enabling them to attain salvation
o “All who call on God in true faith… will be heard”  Luther
o All Christian denominations that Christians are able to connect with God regardless of their background
o He removed institutional barriers that prevented individuals from connecting to their faith. The impact changed the way Christians experience faith today.

Question 3

• Role in the Protestant Reformation

Answer 3

Luther’s ideas were highly influential in the context of the protestant reformation and the subsequent counter-reformation. He played a role in the schism within the Christian faith and influenced further development of Protestantism
o Luther’s writings contributed to conflict between Catholics and protestants
o Conflict led to Protestant reformation, which was an attempt to reform Catholicism in Western Europe
o Had an impact in setting a process of reform in motion, the protestant reformation and counter-reformation significantly impacted both catholic and Protestant denominations and brought significant overhaul to the Christian tradition as a whole

Question 4

• Legacy in contemporary society:

Answer 4

: Luther’s impact resounds in the many protestant denominations that exist today, inspired by his teachings. These teachings continued to be interpreted after his passing (reforms of Vatican II)
o Many denominations of Protestantism that practice today are derived from the teachings of Luther
o Teachings such as sola scriptura form a point of distinction between the Protestant churches and the orthodox/catholic churches
o Protestant churches use the bible as their sole source of authority in situations such as ethical decision-making
o Some of Luther’s teachings have been implemented in more recent times e.g. Second Vatican II Council (1962-1965)
 Adopted Luther’s idea of the Deutsche Messe by translating Catholic mass from Latin into the vernacular
 “Luther encouraged Bible reading by the laity, as did Vatican II” Joseph F. Kelly (Professor at John Carroll University)
o Luther’s legacy emphasises the relevance of his teachings and many Church leaders continue to use the same model as Luther of bringing the church back to its founding roots in order to bring the individual closer to God